A hypothetical nuclear strike on London could unleash catastrophic devastation, according to the Daily Express, which cited estimates from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

The publication analyzed the potential consequences of a strike involving Russia’s intercontinental ballistic missile Topol. The discussion was prompted by Washington’s decision to deploy American nuclear weapons at an airbase in Suffolk, a move that, as noted by the paper, could make the United Kingdom one of the primary targets in the event of a direct military confrontation between Russia and the United States.

Calculations presented in the report suggest that a Topol or Topol-M warhead detonated in central London could kill around one million people. Experts estimated that the temperature at the epicenter would reach roughly one million degrees Celsius. The explosion would ignite widespread fires, triggering a firestorm that would consume oxygen across the city.

Even at a distance of 11 kilometers from ground zero, people could suffer severe burns. Within a 17-kilometer radius, the blast wave and debris would cause deadly destruction, trapping many under rubble or injuring them with flying glass. Analysts warned that such a scenario would overwhelm the British healthcare system, which would be unable to cope with the scale of casualties.